Ice-skate.



Patented Dec. 3|, I90I.

` Nn. 689,85l.

' R. BUSTIN.

ICE SKATE.

(Application Bled Mar. 30, 1901.1

(lo Model.)

UNTTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT BUsTIN, oF sr. JOHNS, CANADA.

ICE-SKATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,851, dated December 31, 1901.

Application filed March 30, 1901. Serial No. 53,571. (No model-l To @ZZ whom, it may concer/'71,:

Be it known that I, ROBERT BUSTIN, asubject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at St. Johns, New Brunswick, Canada, have invented new and usef-nl Improvements in `Ice- Skates, of which the following is a specification. y

This invention relatesl to skatesmnd while not so limited it is of particular advantage in connection with racing-skates.

The improved skate includes as one of its advantageous features a runner and a footpiece, the footpiece being rigidly supported at one place and yieldingly supported at another place in its length, and in the present case the footpiecevconsists of a plate yieldingly supported at its ends and rigidly supported at its middle, thereby producing independently oscillatory portions, the runner having on its upper side between its ends a rigid supportof suitable nature, to which the footpiece is connected, and said plate may be supported at its ends by coiledsprings surrounding perpendicular spindles on the runner, which extend through holes in the footplate. The foot-plate is preferably of thin metal, thereby securing inherent resiliency therein and permitting the free oscillation or rocking of the ends of the same without possibility of fracture or breakage thereof.

The invention includes otherl features of utility, which with the foregoing will be set forth in the following description, and the novelty will form the basis of the accompanying claims, and itis represented in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ice-skate including my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section in the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4E is a perspective view of the runner. Fig. 5 represents cross-sections showing different kinds of runners.

TheV ice-skate represented includes in its construction a runner and a footpiece, and these parts may be, except as hereinafter specified, of any suit-able character, and the shoe of the wearer is adapted to be strapped or otherwise secured tothe footpiece.

The runner is denoted by 12, and it is of a considerable length, being of the kind ordinarily employed in racing-skates, and it is preferably made from sheet metal cut to proper shape, its blade portion having an edgev of any'shape-as shown,for example, in Fig.

5. The front and rear portions of the runner, I

on the upperside thereof, are provided with perpendicular spindles, as 13 and 14, the first mentioned being termed the fore and the other the aft7 spindle, and these spindles Aare shown as being integral with the runner.

The runner has shoulders, as 13' and 14:',preferably integral therewith at opposite sides of vthe respective spindles and constituting suitable supports for coiled springs, hereinafter described actin g as yield able supports for the footpiece fore and aft thereof.

The footpiece is ofran external shape familiar in skates, and it has holes or orifices, as 16, at its ends, through which the spindles 13 and' 14 freely pass, the spindles being so located as to be at the front and rear of the toe and heel, respectively, of the shoe, so that the foot of the user will not alfect the proper action of the parts. The spindles are surrounded or encircled by spiral springs, as 17, which bear at their upper ends against the under surface of the footpiece and are sustained by the shoulders 13' and 14', respectively, at opposite sides of said spindles. The footpiece is retained in place by means of cotter-pins,as 18, passing through holesin the upper ends of the spindles, which it will be seen extend a short distance above the upper' surface of said footpiece at its toe and heel.

Th'e footpiece 15 is preferably cut from sheet metal, whereby a certain degree of resilience or lexure is obtained, and it will be understood that the foot piece or plate has independent rocking motions fore and aft thereof, and it is connected to a rigid support on the runner.

The runner 12 has on its upper side, substantially midway between the spindles, a rigid support, as 19. This support is shown as integral with the runner, so as to' better resist the different strains put upon it, and it consists of an offset of suitable length to which the foot-plate is non-yieldingly connected.

The foot-plate 15 has a central depression 20, to the under side of which the plate 21 is fastened, said plate having depending clips IOO 21', which straddle the support or offset 19 near its ends and are detachably fastened thereto in some simple way-say by bolts and.

nuts. The foot-plate 15 therefore has independently oscillatory fore and aft portions and an intermediate rigid or non-yielding portion. This is highly important in performing fancy evolutions, where it is essential thatthe motion of the fore part should not be transferred to the rear part of the plate, and vice versa. Therefore when a skater is using the front part of his foot in skating he may rock the fore part of the foot-plate to any extent without affecting the rear part, and while using his heel the opposite result will follow, each motion being distinct by reason of the intermediate rigid bearing for the foot-plate separating the plate fore and aft.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the footpiece and runner are detachably connected,so thatditerentkinds ofrunnerssuch, for example, as one of those shown in Fig. 5-can be attached to the runner.

Having described the invention, I claiml. In an ice-skate, a runner and a footplate, one of said parts having means to rigidly support the foot-platesubstantially midway between its ends, said foot-plate being independently movable at opposite sides of said rigid support, and means sustained by the runner forsupporting the foot-plate yieldingly at the ends of the latter.

2. In an ice-skate, a runner having a rigid central support, a flexible foot-plate rigidly connected directly with said support, and

means supported by the runner for yieldingly sustaining the runner at the opposite ends of the latter.

3. In an ice-skate, a runner having a central support and spindles at its opposite ends all in one piece, a foot-plate rigidly secured directly to said support between its ends, said foot-plate being independently movable at opposite sides ot' said rigid support, and coilsprings surrounding said spindles for supporting the opposite ends of the foot-plate.

4. In an ice-skate, a runner and a footplate, the foot-plate being detachably and rigidly connected directly at its center to the runner, and means supported by the runner, said foot-plate being independently flexible at opposite sides of said central support for yieldingly sustaining the opposite ends of the foot-plate.

5. In an ice-skate, a runner having a central support and rigid spindles at its opposite ends, a foot-plate rigidly connected to said support at its center, and independently movable at opposite sides of said rigid support, and coiled springs surrounding said spindles and upholding the opposite ends of the footplate.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witmesses.

ROBERT BUSTIN.

Witnesses:

GEO. E. SULLIVAN, Guo. W. REA. 

